Munich beer is justly famous well beyond both the city's and Germany's borders.
Many of the technological innovations which gave rise to modern industrial
lager brewing took place here.

That might be a statement to deter rather than attract beer lovers, but
don't be put off. The large Munich breweries produce drinkable beer, especially
when compared to industrial lager from elsewhere. Add the more idiosynchratic
beers produced on a small scale in and around the city and you're left with
a pretty good selection, ranging in quality from OK to downright excellent.

Munich
Beer
The most popular beer style in Munich
is Helles, a very pale, malty lager,
that you could liken to a light mild (though of a greater strength). Pils
is around, but does not dominate as it does in most of Germany.

Some Munich breweries brew a confusingly large
number of pale lagers of slightly varying strengths.

You'll find about a dozen different beers in the product range of the large
Munich breweries. Though, given the falling demand for beer in Germany,
it's quite likely that some will be discontinued in the near future. Paulaner
has already announced its intention to dramatically pare down its range.

Munich Pubs, Beerhalls and Beer Gardens
There's no lack of places to drink - some of them magnificent. Massive,
shady (in the no direct sunlight sense of the word) beer gardens for the
summer months, huge vaulted beerhalls for the rest of the year. There are
even some normal-sized pubs (most things connected with beer are on a very
grand scale in Munich) and, of course, trendy bars for the many students
and yuppies. Munich has pubs for every conceivable taste.

If you can choose the time of your trip, I would definitely recommend visiting
in the Summer. Munich's beer gardens are not to be missed. It can seem that
half of the city centre is occupied by one Biergarten or another. The only
slight downside is their insistence on serving draught beer in nothing smaller
than a full litre measure.

For real beer enthusiasts, the fame of Munich beer has its disadvantages.
It's one of the few locations where the paths of mainstream mass tourism
and serious beer-drinking cross. Fortunately, a few of the more obvious
beerhalls (the Hofbräuhaus in particular) attract the bulk of the coach
parties. With a little care, it's not difficult to drink your beer in a
genuine Bavarian atmosphere, even in the city centre.

In this guide I've limited myself deliberately to pubs and bars in the city
centre. Munich is a large, sprawling city and, though it possesses an excellent
network of trams and local trains, I expect the casual visitor will have
neither the time nor the inclination to stray too far. Most pubs described
below are within a 20 minute walk of the main station. That's my walking
pace which, as my wife frequently points out, quickens considerably as my
planned source of refreshment nears.

Located on one corner of the Augustiner site, you would have to call
this the brewery tap. Now, this industrial part of the city is probably exactly where
you wouldn't head on leaving München Hbf. To be honest, apart from Augustiner
and the Hacker-Pschorr brewery 50 metres closer to the station, there isn't a great
deal to see. Despite fairly heavy war damage, the Augustiner brewery is still an impressive
brick edifice for those of us with a taste for industrial chic.

Inside they like to remind you, in case you have managed to forget, of the
brewery's presence nearby with numerous photos of its interior. The décor
is bog standard beerhall heritage, though the presence of tablecloths make
it more upmarket than some. There's also a long thin taproom in a more basic
style, with highly appropriate barrel tables. It's worth noting for the
more financially challenged amongst us, that the prices are very reasonable
by Munich standards.

My notes mention the presence of lots of other pubs in the area, offering
a wide choice to different beers. Perhaps this part of Munich isn't quite
as desolate as it first appears.

This pub has always reminded me of a Prague beerhall. Maybe it's because
on my first visit, the waiter who served me was Czech. More likely, it's
because it really looks like a Czech beerhall.

There are two entrances to this sizeable establishment, restaurant on
the right, beerhall on the left. Though, of course, the beerhall serves
full cooked meals, too. On the pub side, you've got an extremely long
corridor leading to a bar counter
that sits right at the back of the building. In the corridor itself, there
is simple seating, in the rooms to the right, proper tables and chairs.

Everything is kept nice and simple: tiled floors, panelled walls, whitewashed
vaulted ceilings. For variety, there are a few black and white prints
of Munich sparingly placed. And this wouldn't be the south, if there weren't
quite a few heads of dead animals staring mournfully down at you. Just
the thing to cheer you up. Personally, contemplating my own mortality
mixes very poorly with beer-drinking.

This being one of the Augustiner's
showcases, it's got the full range of Augustiner beer, They're not served too badly,
either, the draught beer being tapped at a correct lager temperature (what I mean
is NOT TOO BLOODY COLD).

Overall, a pleasant, traditional beerhall. It has the huge advantage
of being located on the main shopping street, on the way from town to
the station.

The Augustinerkeller is really two pubs in one. In the Summer, you can
sit in the beautiful beer garden under the Linden trees. In Winter (or Summer too
if you're the unromantic type) you can use the beerhall. Augustiner being a pretty
traditional sort of brewery, their beer garden is one of very few in central Munich
to still serve beer from the wood.

Inside the beerhall, there are few surprises for devotees of such places:
big pine tables and benches, a very big timber theme and lots of partial
animal corpses as ornaments. It's been done with a degree of taste and the
overall effect is pleasant and relaxing. In a process similar to that observed
in Amsterdam's brown cafés, the pictures on the wall have been so
stained as to be almost monochrome. Hooray for passive smoking - I just
hope that the same hasn't happened to the inside of my lungs.

This pub has at least two great things going for it. It provides useful variety
in a central Munich pub crawl, supplying an extensive range of Ayinger
beers. And for anyone wanting to avoid the Hofbräuhaus (drinking in Hitler's local
does have a distinctly creepy feel to it) for whatever reason, it gives you the
chance to observe the place without having to set foot inside.

Now, the combination of folksy and trendy might not be everyone's cup
of tea, but it was pleasant enough to my cynical eye. There's a fair bit
of seating at the long bar, while the rest of the place is filled with
long pine tables and benches. If you need to have a really long, close
look at the Hofbräuhaus, there are also some tables on the square outside.

I was very favourably impressed by both the friendliness of the staff
and the excellent quality of the beer.

Taking a brief stroll through central Munich, only the most
unobservant visitor could fail to notice Donisl, located just opposite the
gothic town hall. It would be nice to say that Donisl is gothic, too. Sadly,
though the history of the pub stretches back to 1315, the current structure
doesn't date from before 1945.

I'm sure that the intentions of those in charge of the rebuilding were good.
In theory, everything is right: panelled walls, red tile floor, etc. Unfortunately,
like many postwar constructions, it's all a bit too new and a bit too posh
to score very highly in the authenticity or atmospheric stakes. The service
is friendly and the food is very reasonable in price, so it's not all doom
and gloom.

Be warned that from 18:00 Bavarian music is performed. I recommend a lunchtime
visit.

The Hacker family started their pub brewery here in 1738. Brewing moved
elsewhere after a fire destroyed the brewery part of the building in 1825. The pub
was rebuilt and enlarged at this time and the current structure dates from this period.

There are 6 rooms in the traditional beerhall style, plus a beergarden in a courtyard
at the rear.

Don't try and pretend that you've never heard of the Hofbräuhaus. Anyone
who has even heard the word Munich once in their lives has heard of this
pub. Though quite possibly for all the wrong reasons. At least they've
removed the Hitler plaque.

Obviously, it's massive with rooms of varying degrees of hugeness. We
see the wood, tiles and lasses in dirndls laden with litre glasses that
is standard in Munich beerhalls. There's nothing wrong with that. It's
the busloads of Japanese tourists gazing bemusedly at the half pigs lying
on their plates that make the experience bizarre and slightly disturbing.
A lot less interesting than it sounds, but a lot less dreadful than you
might expect, as long as you avoid the umpah music. This said, if you
find youself on Platzl, I still recommend drinking in Ayingers
Speis und Trank.

Be warned that, unless you drink the bottled Weizen, the smallest measure
is a litre.

Those of you au fait with Bavarian terminology will
realise the "-keller" suffix indicates that a beer garden is the
main attraction. There's also a substantial beerhall with a multiplicity
or rooms, including the no-smoking Kinderland. It dates back to 1892 and
has survived its fair share of adversity, including wartime bomb damage
and a serious fire in 1987.

The beerhall is built on that massive scale that typifies everything connected
with beer in Munich. As is usual, pine is king, but the style is more upmarket
than in many of its competitors. Maybe all the rebuilding work has taken
its toll. The beer garden is quiet and shady, with the surrounding buildings
doing a wonderful job of excluding city noise. Note that it's self-service
here. Sadly, the beer is dispensed from fake barrels.

The Unions-Bräu brewpub is just around the corner and forms a nice mini-excursion
in combination with the Hofbräukeller.

When Löwenbräu reopened this pub adjacent to their brewery
in 1883, it was a sensation. The massive edifice set new standards for Munich
beerhalls, with tablecloths and serviettes making their first appearance
in the city. Even today the building, in typical late 19th century mock-gothic
style, is pretty impressive. Seriously damaged by bombs in December 1944,
reconstruction was not completed until 1950.

The interior is like a cross between a beerhall and a rather grand old station
buffet. It's plain to see that the brewery wasn't cutting any corners when
they constructed what is, effectively, their brewery tap. The sum spent
- 413,311.11 marks - was enormous for the period (or for the present, for
that matter). There are a few folksy touches - a maypole and a kitchen range
- which appear out of place in a city pub.

Customers are drawn form a wide cross-section of the Munich population,
as befits a beerhall. On my last visit some serious drinking was going on,
but the atmosphere was boisterous and good-natured rather than unruly or
threatening. How can Bavarians consume such copious quantities of beer without
turning nasty?

Outside there is a large beergarden. (I mean Munich large, so more than
1,000 seats.)

If I were describing this pub prior to 1945, I would have
called it a small 4-storey building. But money was a bit short when they
rebuilt it in 1949, so they left the top storey off. That apart, it's faithful
to the original.

Dark, dark wood is the theme inside. It's cosy and old-fashioned, but certainly
not gloomy. Right at the back is a small bar counter, upon which sits the
wooden barrel dispensing helles. Give me an oak barrel and I'm happy. Throw
in grandmother-style waitresses offering friendly service of the sweetest
kind and heaven is created. It's as if your mum's has obtained a full on-licence.
The small-town atmosphere is so powerful that the massive Munich cathedral
(just across a small square) is quite a shock when you stumble out. A complete
contrast to Donisl, which is just around the corner.

As you might suspect from the name, sausages are the big thing here. As is the way
with Nürnberger bratwurst, they can be bought in quantities of 6, 8, 10, 12 depending
on the extent of your hunger. Pretty good they are, too. I assume that the Tucher
Hefeweißbier is there on tap to continue the Nürnberg theme.

Thomasbräu built this towering brewery and pub complex in 1892, at a
time when Munich was rapidly expanding. After the First World War things
weren't so rosy and there was a huge consolidation of the Munich brewing
industry. Amongst the many mergers of the period was that of Paulaner and Thomasbräu in 1928. Brewing continued at Kapuzinerplatz until
the war, when bomb damage made both Paulaner's breweries non-operational.
Brewing resumed in 1949 at a single site (the original Paulaner brewery).
Thomasbräu no longer brewed, but continued to be run as a pub by Paulaner.
Until 1989, that is, when Paulaner decided to reopen it as a brewpub.

I have to say, that of all the restorations I have seen, this is one
of the very, very best. All of the beautiful original details have been
retained - marble pillars, chessboard floor tiling, plain vaulted ceilings
- but it has a airiness and brightness that makes it some ways quite modern.
A bit of common sense, respect for the existing fabric and use of top
quality materials have combined to produce something stunning. I can't
praise it enough; you really have to see it for yourself.

It retains a multi-room layout, including a library, and has a beer garden
at the rear. The gleamy copper things that do the actual brewing are on
prominent display. Of the two beers brewed on the premises, I far preferred
the Weizen, which was excellent. The Helles was alright. Perhaps I found
it too thin for my taste just because I'm not such a great fan of the
style.

Cleverly tucked away between the shops on Munich's main pedestrianised
drag is the entrance to this cellar pub. At street level there is a tiny stand-up
bar, with a much more extensive drinking and eating area downstairs.

The site was occupied by the Prüglbräu brewery between 1762 and 1854, before
being demolished to make way for the Bamberger Hof Hotel. In the 1890's the ground
floor of the hotel was converted into a beerhall, which was later acquired by Spaten
and dubbed Spatenbräu Bierhalle. Like much else in the city, it fell victim to
bombs in 1944. When finally rebuilt in 1953, it bore no resemblance to the original.

Why have I given such an extensive history of this pub? Because in its current
incarnation it's so achingly dull. In fact, without notes, I don't think
I would be able to recall anything about it at all. Wood surfaces that look
like cheap veneer and an inappropriate collection of fox hunting prints.
As interesting as a night out in Swindon and with all the olde worlde charm
of Milton Keynes. It does have a pretty full set of Spaten beers and is
in a very convenient spot.

The
hard times of the 1920's, when many Munich breweries closed their doors
forever, also saw Löwenbräu
gobble up Unions-Bräu. Like Paulaner, they came on the idea of re-opening
it as a homebrew pub and its first beer was served in 1991.

As you might expect from somewhere that was brewing 130,000 hl in 1900,
it's a reasonable size establishment. The ground floor is pretty restauranty
and rather too close to kitsch for comfort. The cellar is in complete
contrast, simple to the extent of being positively Spartan. It's here,
amid the long pine tables and benches, that the brewing kettles, fermenting
vessels and all those other pretty things connected with brewing are situated.

At the rear is a small and fairly dismal beer garden, boxed in by flats,
with a selection of very immature trees. It should look OK in about 20
years time. Not really worth the trouble, unless you're desperate to sit
outside.

The beer is served from wooden barrels, but with top pressure applied. I found
the Helles OK, but too yeasty and way too fizzy. Maybe in the meantime someone has
learned how to set the CO2 cylinder correctly.

Until the Second World War this was not only Schneider's premier Munich outlet, but also the brewery. War damage put paid
to the brewing side of the operation on this site, but the pub has long
ago been restored and its difficult to imagine now what a state it was
in in 1945. It's on the southern side of the city centre, just a little
past (if you're coming from the station) the gothic townhall.

It's
a big, bustling cheery sort of place, without any pretensions. Bare wooden
floors, long tables and benches (no sitting in a corner by yourself staring
at your pint here) and not much in the way of decoration other than some
lovely coloured leaded glass windows. Their motifs - foaming glasses of
Aventinus and sheaves of wheat - are very much to the point.

To emphasize the homely side, most of the waitresses seemed to be grannies
on my last visit. I half expected recommendations to make sure l ate all
my food and to be careful to wrap up warm before leaving.

In a way, it's a shame that Schneider have started doing draught versions
of their beers. There was something extraordinary about being in the brewery
tap of a large company where none of the draught beers were their own.
Be warned that the "Berliner Weisse" is just their own wheat
beer with syrup added. Very Reinheitsgebot.

Isar bräu may be a little out of town, but it couldn't be simpler
to find. It's located in buildings that used to be part of Großhesselohe station.
Get of the S7 and there you are. It must be one of few brewpubs with its own railway
station. The discarded railway building, dating from 1890, has been sensitively converted
to its current use.

Wooden panelling that seems to have been around for years, battered old wooden furniture:
it all makes it hard to believe that it's only been a pub for a few years. There are
a few culture clashes. The entrance is post-modernist (or brightly-painted brutalist
as it's also known) and industrial ducting sits next to 1890's beer bottles and glasses.
It sounds an odd combination, but it works well and creates a very comfortable atmosphere.
The customers, too, are a creative mixture of old and new. For train freaks, there
are excellent views of the railway line.

The homebrewed beers issuing form the gleaming copper thingummies are a triumph to
equal the interior design. I was particularly impressed by the Schwarzbier. Definitely
worth the S-Bahn trip out of the city centre.

Hear the phrases "former monastery" and "beer
garden" strung together and a tranquil, rural idyll springs to mind.
Weihenstephan Bräustüberl is such a restaurant and beer garden. But its
setting is a real disappointment.

Weihenstephan is a fair sized brewery. You expect its structure to be a
bit on the functional side of beautiful. It's fallen right off the f-scale.
Looking away from the brewery (which is easier than is natural), the view
isn't much better. You're in the middle of a light industrial estate. Though,
if you ignore odd low mechanical hum, it's quiet enough. If only they could
get those bloody birds to shut up. Their twittering totally destroys the
Swindon atmosphere.

The beer garden is self-service, the bar being housed in a prefab outbuilding,
where there's also part of the restaurant. I would tell you about the inside.
But I was there in the summer. I only went inside to use the bogs. These
pages contain a surpising number of words describing toilet facilities,
but on this occasion I'll be silent.

It does itself justice as a brewery tap. They have the complete range on
draught. You would be amazed at how many taps don't.

Once you're past the shock of finding yourself in an industrial estate and
not a medieval monastery, the place does grow on you. Being at the site
of the oldest brewery in the world does have some sort of magic. Though
I bet they weren't bottom fermenting back then.

Rating: *****

Public transport: S1 to Freising. It's then a mile walk (all uphill). I recommend
talking a taxi.

From the outside Zur Gred looks a pretty decent pub. Sadly,
once inside you're in for a disappointment.

There's a single L-shaped room that is brimful of blandness. They nearest
I could come to in a single phrase is German mock-Tudor, but that doesn't
do justice to sheer awfulness of the design. There are far too many tablecloths
and carpets for my taste. The opening times are probably its best feature.
When I see pubs like this, I realise Bass weren't as bad as I thought.

Freising seems to specialise in bland pubs. Here, despite
a beamed ceiling, it's much like a crap modern kneipe anywhere in Germany.

It's nice to see that the UK doesn't have a monopoly on low-quality pub
refurbishments I really can find anything else to tell you about Häcklbräu.
Oh yes, the name. They used to brew here until an unfortunate bombing incident
during the war.